A Short History of the Norman Conquest of England

by Edward Augustus Freeman

On the 14th October 1066 the fate of England was changed forever. Harold Godwinson lay dead on the battlefield and William, the Duke of Normandy, would soon be crowned King of England. No longer would Anglo-Saxons or Vikings rule England; this was the age of the Normans. Renowned scholar, Edward A. Freeman, gives a fascinating overview of this momentous event in European history. Freeman uncovers the origins of the Norman people and their impact that they made across Europe, from Scandinavia down to Sicily, as well as providing an outline of England prior to 1066 and an account of all the major figures who took part in the conquest. Particularly fascinating is Freeman's analysis of how William asserted his rule after the battle and forced the formerly Anglo-Saxon kingdom to become a Norman one with a new landowning class. This work is essential reading for anyone interested in the medieval period and who wishes to learn more about one of the most important events in English history. Frank Barlow stated that Freeman was extremely well qualified to study and write on the Norman Conquest as he had " a good knowledge of languages, including Anglo-Saxon, and an interest in field archaeology and architecture, with the ability to sketch buildings and their features. Above all, he had tremendous zest." Edward A. Freeman was Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford whose most famous work was the six volume The History of the Norman Conquest of England. published between 1867 and 1879. This shortened version of that work was published in 1880. He died in 1892.

Genres: History

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

English historian, architectural artist, and Liberal politician, as well as a one-time candidate for Parliament. He held the position of Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford.

Reviews

[Daniel Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, understandable nutshell of the situation giving rise to the Norman conquest.

[Rod Zinkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The brief history gives many names of people and places without going into depth about them. It is good for getting the basic facts of events leading up to the Norman Conquest, during William's reign, and some time after his death. What I found is most valuable in Freeman's work is his discussion of the effects of the Norman conquest of England.

[K. Counihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short History Norman Conquest of England

This was a short engaging history of the Norman Conquest of England. It gives the reader a just the facts approach to history. It is then up to the reader to pursue a more robust in depth study of the topic of they choose to.

[Marti Martinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

No fluff.

[Castlehill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fascinating Brief Read

An abridge history of William the Conqueror 's invasion of England, that leads the reader to crave more about the Man and his conquest.

[TomK2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

A bit too dry for me to finish. I was enjoying it, but eventually the endless presentation of dry facts to satisfy historical accuracy was just too hard for me to continue. I may come back to this after consuming more historical fiction for the same time period, then I might have interest in the actually dry, but true, material to balance what embellishment the story tellers have made.

[Paul Creasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

Very informative and jam packed with facts. A bit dry at times it makes up for this by being very comprehensive in a relatively short book. A good read for history buffs.

[Michael Christian Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Enjoyed it.